Chelsie Dahlbeck of San Carlos Park, Accused of Hit-and-Run

Chelsie Dahlbeck of San Carlos Park, Florida has been accused of a hit-and-run accident Thursday that left a teenager in critical condition, according to statement made by the Florida Highway Patrol. According to Florida Highway Patrol, no arrests have been made, though a red pickup truck has been impounded pending an ongoing investigation. It remains to be seen whether Dahlbeck will be facing any criminal charges. It is not clear whether she has hired a private criminal defense attorney.

Dahlbeck, 21, was driving a red pickup truck in San Carlos Park when, reports say, she struck 16-year-old Kiesha Bien-Aime at the intersection of Sanibel Boulevard and Geranium Road. The accident occurred at the intersection of Sanibel Boulevard and Geranium Road when a red pickup truck drifted off the road for unknown reasons and struck Bien-Aime. Dahlbeck then allegedly left the scene, leaving behind Bien-Aime. The girl was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was listed as in critical condition.

A Sergeant from the Florida Highway Patrol stated that he does not believe alcohol was a factor in the accident. He also told reporters that speed was not a factor, stating that the speed limit on the road is 30 MPH, and the driver was traveling around 20 to 25 MPH. Whether Dahlbeck provides an explanation for the crash she was allegedly involved in remains to be seen.

News reports regarding the incident started coming in around 11 in the morning after the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip. The tipster apparently told police that a red pickup truck that matched the description of the hit-and-run vehicle was located at a residence on Morgan Road in San Carlos Park. The tip purportedly included a photo of the pickup truck. Sources say that the Florida Highway Patrol subsequently towed the truck away and placed it in the SWIFT SunGuide Center impound lot, which is located off Daniels Parkway.

Reports say that Dahlbeck is a catcher for the Alcorn State softball team. When Florida Highway patrol contacted her regarding the accident, sources say she was shocked. She reportedly told investigators that she knew she had hit something, but did not know that it was a person. In a statement to the press, Florida Highway Patrol said that Dahlbeck and her family were cooperating with authorities, and that, so far, no one has been taken into custody.
Bien-Aime is student at the South Fort Myers High School, sources say. Earlier reports indicate that she is recovering at a hospital in Tampa, where her status has improved to serious but stable condition. She has evidently been in nonverbal communication with investigators regarding the events that led to her injury. Her family does not appear to have made a statement about the accident. It is not clear whether Bien-Aime or her family plan on suing Dahlbeck for damages.

Sources say that a neighbor noticed damage to the front end of the Dahlbeck family’s Toyota on Thursday night. The neighbor did not connect the damage to the hit-and-run. “We thought it was from hitting a stop sign or something,” she told reporters, adding that she thinks a man from the family owns the truck, but a different family member drives it. She went on to describe her neighbors as being polite and affable people.